FT - Carvin LB5 Fretless Natural Finish

[TheMutt]

Up for trade is a Carvin LB5 Fretless bass. I'm not absolutely sure on the specifics of this bass as I am not the original owner (I got this one in trade about a year ago).

What I do know is:
Natural finish
5 string (B-E-A-D-G)
Black Hardware
Ebony fingerboard w/ white inlaid lines and dot markers, epoxied.
4-bolt neck
Stock Carvin jazz p/u in neck (blue dot on pickup confirmed)
Stock Carvin MM p/u in bridge
Dual through body/quick change top-load bridge
Ultralite style tuning machines (Carvin-branded)
Stock Carvin 9V 3-band active/passive (push-pull volume knob) preamp with blend control and master volume
Toggle switch is for series/split coil on humbucker
Will include Carvin hardcase, a Comfort Strapp that has black dual-design Dunlop Straplocks installed, and your choice of strings:
The bass will ship with RotoSound Tru-Bass 88 strings (nylon flats), but I'll include a set of brand new D'Addario Chromes or DR Sunbeams if you'd like.
Bathroom scale says it's 10lbs, but I wouldn't hold it to being absolutely accurate.
Ash body
Satin finished neck
Serial #86651

Using some digital calipers, I got these measurements:
17mm string spacing
1.77" @ nut
2.70" @ last fret line (22nd)

What I don't know:
What the specifics of the preamp (EQ points, etc) or pickups (output, wiring, etc) is
What year this bass was made
depth/radius of neck although it's a thinner neck

Now, why am I looking to move this bass along?
I'm just not a huge fan of natural finish basses, nor do I find myself using a fretless all that often.

Otherwise it's been a great bass and a solid contender for my secondary bass.

Here's a temporary picture until I can get some better ones taken:


As promised, here are some more photos, including the headstock as requested.








There is a little bit of wear on the fingerboard, but it is actually much worse in the photos due to the flash than it really is in real life, and isn't noticeable if you've got strings on (I'd hope you do if you're going to be playing this bass ).

$700, split shipping, I will use the carrier of your choice (but I will not lie on customs forms if it's going international).

Trade interests: (+/- cash as need be)
SmallSound/BigSound Team Awesome Fuzz Machine (current edition)
Chunk Systems Brown Dog
Aguilar Agro Overdrive Pedal
Aguilar TLC Compressor
Markbass Super Synth
Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter
Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion
Mad Profesor Snow White Bass Auto Wah
Aguilar AG500 Bass Amp head
Keyboard? (Roland, Korg, etc)
Bass VI type instrument? (Schecter Hellcat VI, Agile Argus 630 LPB Extended Scale Guitar, Gretsch G5265, etc)
I'm interested in all manner of other things in trades, just shoot me an offer.

[dolcebene]

price?

[lowfreqgeek]

Are you sure it's an Ebonal fingerboard? Carvin uses *ebony* and has never used ebonal, as far as I know. It looks like an epoxy-coated ebony fb to me.

Interested in an outright sell? or trade + cash either way?

[csala]

Originally Posted by lowfreqgeek

Are you sure it's an Ebonal fingerboard? Carvin uses *ebony* and has never used ebonal, as far as I know. It looks like an epoxy-coated ebony fb to me.

Interested in an outright sell? or trade + cash either way?

I'm curious about this as well. I didn't think Carvin uses ebonal.

[bassnote6]

A piece from the specs from Carvin.

For the fretless player, you can choose an unlined ebony fingerboard, or an ebony fingerboard with white inlaid lines and with or without dot position markers. All fretless necks have small position markers on the side of the fingerboard. Carvin's "Rapid Play" low action neck assures effortless playability throughout the entire fingerboard, while the smooth neck heel allows easy access all the way up to the 22nd fret.

[dmonroe]

What are you looking for in trade?!?!?!?! Are you possibly interested in selling?!?!?!?!?!

You've told us about your bass (well, what you could anyway) but you've said nothing about what you want!

[Wileee]

I traded this bass to the present owner here and I may have been mistaken regarding the ebonal neck info. I do know the body is made of ash. TheMutt is a great guy to do business with in my opinion.

Wiley

[TheMutt]

Haha! Thanks Wileee!
I totally forgot who I got this bass from.

[kudzoorude]

Sooo...if you were wanting to...you know...sell this bass. What would your price be? ;0)

[nuts-n-bolts]

pm'd

[WoodyG3]

Is this a kit, or a factory built bass? The full headstock is not visible in the picture, which is why I ask.

Also, for the record, it's a B5, not an LB5.

It's a looker, for sure. You are sure you don't want to sell for cash?

[TheMutt]

My assumption is that this is a factory bass. The serial number is on the jack plate which as far as I can tell means that it is. Although there really isn't much information on the web about Carvin serial numbers because from what I've been reading, they're not very consistent throughout the years that they have been making instruments.

I'll get a better shot of the headstock up soon, and as for selling it outright, if you and/or others can help me determine what it's worth I'd gladly put it up for sale as well.

[Eric!]

Bumpity!!

[eastcoasteddie]

It's definitely a Factory B5. Carvin also offered an epoxy finish on the fingerboard at some point, not sure if they still do...but I read that they don't really like to do it either...but it's there.

Also the switch should be a Split Coil/Series and not a Series/Parallel for the humbucker.
The neck pickup could be a single coil J99...I don't remember their little dot colour coding. I believe the H50 had a purple/blue dot, the J99 had a white dot. That one looks kind of white in the first pic, but also looks blue in the 2nd pic.....

String spacing should be about 17mm (standard for Carvin's Narrow bridge). Easy to measure: use a metric ruler and measure the distance between any 2 strings, center to center diameter, directly on the bridge saddles. OR...measure between the B and G strings, divide that number by 4.

That is a really sweet bass.

[krovx]

PM

[TheMutt]